Typewriter character spacing means



Nov. 5, 1940. 'A. c. WAITE I 2,220,185

TYPEWRITER CHARACTER SPACING MEANS Y r Filed Aug. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Shes; 1

INVENTOR. A. C Walfe "@M; /4. KW

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 5, 1940, A. c. WAlTE 2,220,185

TYPEWRITER CHARACTER SPACINQ MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A. C Waz'fe ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNETED 'ryrawnrraa Alden C. ,Waite, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application August a. 1939, Serial No. 289,139

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a typewriter character spacing means, whose principal object is to provide means for variable spacing for typewriters so that the widths provided by the typewriter for different characters will depend upon the normal width of such characters and not e uniform irrespective of their width, as is the'case with typewriters in general use.

. Another object is to provide simple, effective means for selective typewriter spacing, for the purpose stated.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

. Figure 1 is a broken elevation, partly in section, of an embodiment of the present invention.

, :0 Figure 2 is an enlarged, broken elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 4--is an enlarged, broken plan taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a broken elevation looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a broken elevation of a selector,

comprised in the invention, taken on the line 6--6 so of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a broken view of the upper portion of an escapement frame and associated parts, looking in the opposite direction from Figure 2.

The present drawings do notshow a complete typewriter but only applicant's embodiment together with associated parts of av typewriter. A

carriage .(not shown) is mounted on a supporting arm I which is pivoted at 8 on a base" 9. A spring resiliently supports the carriage on the base 0 9, by means of the pivoted'arm 1. A toothed bar I2 is mounted on the base member 9 and travels with the carriage. The usual spring for actuating the carriage is not shown. A fixed portion ll of a typewriter supports brackets H in which is pivoted an escapement frame l5 by means of a pin l6 that extends from one bracket M to the other.

A fixed pallet i1 is bolted to the escapement frame |5, while a sliding pallet I8 is formed on 50 a sliding bar I9. The sliding bar is slotted as shown at 20, whereby the bar l9 may slide on pins 2| and is held thereon by heads 22. A coil spring 23 tends to move the bar l9 to a position in which the movable pallet- I8 is alined laterally with the fixed pallet H. .The spring (not shown) the pivoted arms 24, 25 and 26 against the action of springs 34. The pins havelpivotal connections. 35 with the. arms. The distances between teeth on the bar H are identical with the distances between the pins 3|], 3| and 32-. A rod 36 connects the escapement frame IS with appropriate operaw tive mechanism of the typewriter, in order to rockthe escapement frame |5 with the typing of each character and with. each spacing between characters.

A selector 31 has a. hooked end 38. The se- 30 lector 31 is moved laterally by means hereinafter to be described and in its laterally adjusted positions, it engagesone of the hooked ends 21, 28 or 29 of the pivoted arms. In Figures 1 and 2' it is shown as engagingthe hooked end 21 of the 25 pivoted arm 24. The selector 31 has a pivotal connection 39 with aneck. A spring 4| tends to maintain the selector 31 and the neck 40 in alinementwith each other, as shown in Figure 6, but the pivoted connection 39 permits the selector 30 31 to be depressed downward against the action of the spring 4|, which spring 4| tends to return the selector to its position of alinement with the neck 40.

A cross-head 42 'is mounted on the neck 40. 35 Headed pins 43 are disposed in a slot 44 in the cross-head, and such pins limit lateral "movement of the cross-head 42. A nose 45 is mounted on the cross-head 42 and projects outwardly therefrom. A bracket 46 on the frame ofthe typewriter supports-the sliding cross-head 42 and the pins 43 and is in turn supported on a sleeve 41 on the typewriter frame.

A plurality of reciprocating bars 48, 49 and 50 are movable in the sleeve .41. The bars 48, 49 "5 and 50 have at their upper ends respectively notches 5|, 52 and 53. The bottoms of these notches are out of alinementwith each other, as best shown in Figures 4 and 5. The bars 48, 49 and 50 respectively have feet 54,55 and 56 at 50 their lower extremities.

Rocker arms 51, 58 and 59 are pivotally mounted on a bar 60 and respectively lift the bars. 48, 49 and 50. The rocker arm 51 actuate's the bar 48 through the intermediary of a sliding rod 8| in a 2 sleeve 62. The rocker arms 51, I8 and II are respectively actuated by bars 83, B4 and 65 by means of lugs I6, 81 and 88 on the bars respec tively. The rocker arms 51, I8 and 58 have shoulders 89, 10 and 1|.

It is to be understood that for every type bar of the typewriter there is a corresponding bar similar to 63, 64 or 65. Thus all of the narrower characters will have bars corresponding to bar 65 which 10 have lugs at the same elevation as lug 68. All

of the medium sized characters will have bars similar to bar 64 and will have lugs at the same elevation as lug 61. All of the wider characters will have bars similar to bar 63 which will have lugs of'the same elevation as the lug 66. All the lugs of the same elevation as the lug 68 bear upon the, shoulder H, all the lugs of the same elevation as the lug 61 bear upon the shoulder Ill, and

all the lugs of the same elevation as the lug 68 bear upon the shoulder 89.

Therefore, in the operation of the present invention, when one of the keys is depressed to print a wide character, the arm 51 is rocked, as

shown in Figure 1, thus raising the sliding bar I 48. The slotted end of the bar 48 causes the pin to bottom in the notch 5| of such sliding bar. This causes the selector 3'! to be moved, by means of the cross-head 42, to a position in which said' selector engages the hooked end 21 of the pivoted arm 24. The pivotal connection 38 permits the selector hook 38 to pass under the hooked end 21 during movement of thehooked end of the pivoted arm past the hooked end 38 of the selector.

The movable pallet I8 is in engagement with the toothed bar l2 when the carriage is in a stationary position (such as shown iii-Figure -2).

When a key or the space bar is depressed, the rod 36 rocks the escapement frame l5, thus releasing 40 the pallet l8 from the toothed bar 12 and causing the fixed pallet I! to maintain the toothed bar l2 and hence the carriage in its same position.

When .the escapement frame I5 is thus rocked, the hooked ends 21 to 29 are all put in a position 46 to be engaged by the hooked end of the selector 31, but the rocker arms 51 to 59 have determined the position of the selector 31, depending upon the width of the character, in the manner heretofore described.

Upon release of the key or space bar, the escapement frame I5 is allowed to rock back to .its

vertical original position, but one of the pivoted arms 24 to 26 'is held in the rocked position by reason of its hooked end being in engagement with'the hooked end of the selector 31. The pivoted arm 24 has been held in the rocked position by the selector, in Figure 1. This causes the pin 30, actuated by the arm 24, to be moved outwardly from. its bore 33 and into the path .0 of the foot 80 of the movable pallet l8. Thus carriage moves the carriage, the toothed bar l2 and the movable pallet l8 until the foot of the movable pallet contacts the pin 30. Since the pin 30 i'sfarthest from the fixed pallet, the move-' ment just "described will be used for the widest 1 letters. It will be noted that the movement of thev carriage takes. place after the type bar has done its printing.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore; do

not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications which ment, and a single member'operatively shiftable by keys on the typewriter to select and check movement of one or another of said arms, to

limit the distance of the movement of the movable pallet to difierentdistances, depending upon the varying widths of characters represented by the keys.

2. In spacing means for a typewriter having a toothed bar, an escapement comprising a rocking frame, relatively fixed and movable pallets onthe frame, the pallets being arranged for one or the other to engage the toothed bar in the rocked positions of the. frame, a plurality of means mounted to rock with, 'and in respect to, the frame and having members individually movable into the path of the movable pallet, spring means on the frame tending to move said means for shifting said members out of said path, and mechanism operable by keys on the typewriter to check the rocking movement of one or another of said means for interposing' the movable member thereof into the path of the movable pallet, against the action of said spring means'when the frame is rocked, the said members thereby limiting the distance of the movement of the movable pallet to different distances, depending upon the vary-'. ing widths of characters represented by the keys.

3. In spacing means for a typewriter carriage,

an escapement comprising a rocking frame, arms pivoted to rock with, and in respect to, the frame, in connection with each arm and arranged to limit movement of the carriage when the respective arm is held against rocking movement with the frame, means connected to rock the escapement frame for each key that is struck, the arms having individual hook means, selector mechameans on the arms in connection with each arm to limit movement of the carriage when the respective arm is held against movement with the frame, means connected to rock the escapement frame for each key that is struck, the arms being may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

arranged side by side, selector means movable laterally along, and in engagement with, said arms and by such movement being arranged to select an arm and to maintain a selected one of the arms against movement when the frame is rocked, said means on the arms being positioned to limit movement of the carriage to difierent, distances, depending upon the varying widths of characters representedby the keys, and means operable by the keys of the typewriter and in turn actuating the selector means.

5. In spacing means for a typewriter carriage, escapement mechanism having means to limit novement of the carriage varying distances, a selector movable to difierent positions, a plurality of arms arranged to respectively engage the selector in its diflerent positions and individually, operatively connected to said means to limit movement of the-carriage varying distances, and mechanism connected to be operated by the keys of the typewriterfand to move the selectorto its diiierent positions, dependingiupon the varying widths'of the characters on the individual keys.

6. In spacing means for a typewriter carriage, means to limit movement of the carriage varying distances, a selector movable to different posi-' tions, means respectively actuated by the selector in its difierent positions and in turn operating said means to limit movement of the carriage varying distances, and sliding bars connected to move the selector to different positions, the bars being connected with keys oi." the typewriter, depending uponthe varying widths of characters represented by the keys.

7. In spacing means for' a typewriter carriage, means to limit movement of the carriage varying distances a selector movable to difierent positions, mechanism connected to selector and in'turn arranged to selectively actuate said means, to limit movement of the carriage varying distances, and sliding bars connected to be operated by keys of the typewriter, depending upon the varying widths of characters represented by the keys, the bars having differently positioned notches therein presenting selectoractuating surfaces to engage and move the selector to different positions.

8. In spacing means for a typewriter carriage, means to limit movement of the carriage varying distances, a selector movable to different positions, mechanism connected to be operated by the selector and in turn arranged to selectively actuate said means, to limit movement of the carriage varying distances, a cross-head on the selector, and sliding bars connected to move the cross-head to different positions and thereby move the selector to different positions, the bars being connected with keys of the typewriter, depending upon the varying widths of characters represented by the keys.

, ALDEN C. WAI'I'E.

be operated by the v 

